1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to roofing devices, and more particularly to a nail removal tool for removing an elongated object from a body in which it is embedded.
2. Description of the Related Art
The conventional way to remove nails from roof tiles has been to secure the head of the nail with a hammer and then beat the handle of the hammer with a second hammer until the nail has been pulled out of the roof tile. This method of removing nails has many drawbacks. Beating the two hammers together in this fashion often results in injury to the user because pieces often flake off both of the hammers and may contact the user's eyes or skin. Also, by beating the two hammers together the tools are often rendered useless because the handles become warped. Finally, the roof materials are also destroyed when pulling the nails by this method. Another problem is that it is often difficult to engage the head of the nail because of uneven portions of the roof. Several nail extracting devices have been developed in an attempt to solve the aforementioned problems. The following patent documents disclose examples of these nail extractor devices.
German Patent Number 3,108,097 published on Sep. 23, 1982, discloses pincers for removing roofing nails. The pincers comprise two pincer jaws equipped with lever handles and linked to one another crosswise by means of a joint pin. A supporting element extending away from the pincer jaws is arranged on one of these lever handles. The supporting element has a cylinder-jacket-shaped rolling surface running parallel to the axis of the joint pin. The pincers, after taking hold of the nail and after subsequent pivoting of the lever handles, roll on the rolling surface and pull out the nail in the course of the rolling.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,443,428 issued on Sep. 3, 2002 to Santibanez et al. discloses a nail removing apparatus. The apparatus comprises a housing having bottom, top and sidewalls. A foot portion having a pair of tines adapted for gripping the head of a nail is disposed along the bottom wall of the housing. Once the tines grip the nail head a lifting apparatus lifts the nail.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,935 issued on Aug. 22, 2000 to Wagner discloses a nail removal tool. The tool comprises an elongated shaft portion having a handle portion at its upper end and a pivot mechanism at its lower end. A movable head portion is connected to the pivot mechanism. The head portion has a first jaw member fixed to it and a jaw bedway. A second jaw member is attached to a moveable jaw bedway parallel to the first jaw member. The jaw members grip the nail and the lever pulls the nail out from the surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,015,136 issued on Jan. 18, 2000, discloses a portable fastener remover apparatus. The apparatus has a housing that may be placed on the surface containing the embedded fastener. The apparatus further comprises a force transfer member that is moveably secured to the housing. The force transfer member has an engagement portion for releasably engaging the embedded fastener. The apparatus also has a jack for lifting the force transfer member once it has engaged an embedded fastener.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,311 issued on May 25, 1993 to Sabo, discloses a nail extractor. The extractor includes a gripping member having a plurality of gripping prongs. A lever is releasably secured to a top end of the gripping member. The gripping member grips a nail embedded in a piece of wood. Once the nail is gripped a force is applied to the lever to lift the nail out of the wood.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,707 issued on Mar. 28, 1989 to Brown, discloses a nail puller. The nail puller has an elongate body having a gripping jaw and a handle socket for receiving a handle. A movable jaw is pivotally attached to the puller body and defines a jaw blade and an extending lever arm. The gripping jaw grips the head of nail and the handle pivots to remove the nail from the material it is embedded in.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,704,860 issued on Dec. 5, 1972 to Krapu, discloses a wedging and prying tool. The tool comprises a U-shaped jaw disposed along its base for gripping an item to be lifted. The jaw is secured to a carriage that is moved by a rack and pinion assembly.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,643,918 issued on Feb. 22, 1972 to Ellis, discloses a nail extracting device. The device comprises a pneumatic impact member for drivingly engaging a pair of pivotally mounted jaws that are adapted to grip the head of a nail.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,317,156 on Sep. 30, 1919 to Diamond, discloses a nail puller. The nail puller comprises a plurality of plates having flared ends and nail receiving slots extending through the center of the plates. The top plate is angled so that the back end of the plate is positioned higher than the front end of the plate. The flared ends of the two plates engage the head portion of the embedded nails. Once engaged, the nail puller is pushed forward and slides along the surface that the nails are embedded in. As the nail puller is pushed forward the nail slides through the slots in the plates. As the nail slides through the slots it is lifted to continue sliding through the inclined upper plate, which removes the nail from the material it is embedded in.
U.S. Pat. No. 82,568 issued on Sep. 29, 1868 to Tyzick et al. discloses a nail extractor. The nail extractor comprises a handle portion with a gripping head disposed on a bottom end of the handle portion. The gripping head has a slot for engaging an embedded nail. Once the nail is engaged in the slot the handle is pivoted backward to lift the nail.
None of the devices disclosed above provide a nail extractor that can easily remove nails when they are embedded in a roof that have uneven surfaces. Certain roofs have crimped segments where sharp inclined peaks form. Other roofs may have metal ribs that extend upward from the roof surface. In either case the above devices will not be able to properly grip the head of a nail if it is positioned adjacent a crimp or rib. a nail extractor that may be adapted to any uneven surface on a roof to allow nails to be easily removed is desirable.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a roof nail extractor solving the aforementioned-problems is desired.